Pathways
by Eternity can wait
Summary: This is a novelizatoin of SD3, in essence. All six of the main characters are in the party in my story, and the plot has some interesting twists as a result later on. Eventually more like an au, but generally sticks to the original plot. I tried to give e
1. The First Steps

Pathways

Chapter 1: The first steps

Author's note: This is basically a novelization of the games storyline, except I'm trying to integrate all six characters plot lines. The main character will be Duran, in that he's the one that will accomplish most of the in-game plot scenes. However, there is no set three member party like in the game. You'll see.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, general concepts, or anything else Square copyrighted.

* * *

The wind carried a wave of heat in from the desert. The sensation was welcome; temperatures were already plummeting with the sun's steady retreat over the horizon. The moon's silvery light shone gently, casting the desert into a still white-blue sea, stretching to the distant horizon.

"Ready?" Ben whispered, shifting smoothly from one leg to the other to face Hawk.

"Of course," Hawk answered smugly, smirking, and shifting his eyes to the cat-person crouched next to him. "How about you, Nikita?"

"Come on, Bro! We only went over this about a dozen times!" Nikita complained, cocking his head to one side and squinting with his right eye.

"Hurry up, then," Hawk said quickly, hopping up and dashing away, Ben keeping pace beside him.

"Hey!" Nikita complained as loudly as he dared before sprinting after them. They made him carry all the equipment, then they just dashed off without warning! It wasn't fair!

Hawk smirked as this two cohorts set up in their positions, Nikita lagging only slightly. The cat was actually quite a bit faster than him, when it came to running quietly.

The door was locked, but the work of a few seconds and a lock pick had it open, and Hawk slipped inside like a wraith. He moved as a shadow through the small house pausing bay the stairs. He glanced at the woman and child asleep to his left, noting how beautiful the lady was, and that the boy, surprisingly, looked healthy. It never ceased to amaze him how people could lose sight of things that were so much more important when faced with mere money!

The stairs creaked badly when he put his weight on them, so he braced his hands against the walls and half walked, half climbed up the stairs. The room upstairs was simple, perhaps a bit above average save for the large gilded chest at the foot of the bed, and the obscenely fat man tangled up in the bedclothes.

"How shocking," Hawk whispered to himself, sarcastically smirking, as he moved to the chest and examined the lock. Naturally, it was quite a bit more complex than the one on the door that was protecting the man's family. Nevertheless, it yielded easily in Hawk's hands, and the lid of the chest popped up slightly.

Hawk shook his head in disapproval when he saw the enormous pile of coins. All of this taken from people with less than this fat old fool. How low humans could sink for something so petty.

Hawk took the oversized bag he kept wrapped around his belt out and carefully starting setting handfuls of the money into it, careful not to make a sound. He left a few hundred of the tiny silver coins; there was no reason to let the family downstairs starve.

"Oh, man, this is heavy!" Hawk said loudly, as he slung the bag over his shoulder.

"What? Wha, what is this? How did you…?" the fat man stammered, startled awake.

"Just a visit from your friendly neighborhood thieves guild, my friend! And the next time you get rich, make sure you do it the honest way!" Hawk answered, running to the window and pausing with a grin on his face.

"Hey! Give that back! And I won't be lectured by the thief who's robbing me!" the fat man yelled, falling out of the bed in his attempt to get up.

"Work hard now!" Hawk said, almost gleefully, as he hopped out of the window and then nearly broke a leg.

"Oi, this really is heavy!" Hawk complained as he ran across the roof and tossed the bag down to the ground. Ben picked it up as Hawk jumped off the roof, and the three of them, Nikita straggling again, took off into the desert.

* * *

"You were great today, Duran. You make us soldiers proud," the sentry said, leaning heavily on the wall. "I'd give an arm and a leg to be the tournament champ like you, specially considering how young you are!"

"Huh? Sorry, I must have nodded off for a second," Duran said groggily, shaking his head. He had heard, actually, but after hearing the same line from half the people in Forcena, he was just tired of it.

"Well, I just came on shift, so I thought I'd compliment you. Haven't had a chance to talk with our grand "mercenary" for weeks," the guard continued. Duran stared at him; yes, the man was vaguely familiar. He didn't remember him being so annoying, though.

"You know, I'm not really a mercenary. I just don't want to be a regular soldier," Duran said dully, steering the man away from the tournament.

"No kidding! If I could fight like that, I wouldn't want to be a regular soldier either! Even from the back of the crowd I could tell it was a totally one-sided fight," the man continued, droning on, and on. Please, Goddess, Duran thought, make him shut up!

Duran snapped wide awake when he noticed the man had, abruptly, stopped talking, and was staring at the other side of the castle. Duran spun around, drawing his sword automatically. One of the soldiers on the far wall had been frozen in a block of ice, his sword only partially free of its sheath. There was no way that any monster did that; someone was here.

"Come on!" Duran called, running past the stupefied man and heading for the frozen soldier. If this was a wizard's work, were they from Altena? That didn't make any sense! Duran shoved his thoughts aside and glanced back, halfway to the frozen man. The other soldier had followed him, but in a daze. He wouldn't be much use to Duran, certainly not if this was a true wizard. Hell, how did you fight something that used magic?

"Never mind, go check on the King!" Duran yelled at him, shoving the man towards the second entrance to the interior of the castle. Duran sprinted away towards the doorway the intruder had entered, or rather, the former doorway. The doors themselves had been smashed to pieces against the far wall. Goddess, if they got to the _King_…!

He sprinted past the soldiers lying to one side; both men had been hit by something that'd left their armor bent and misshapen. Ahead of him, he could see a red cloak billowing out from a thin frame as another soldier was frozen, quite similarly to the first.

"Oh, one of them survived?" the thin man asked with a smirk, turning and sidestepping as Duran did his best to impale the man on his sword. The man gave a short laugh and tapped the sword, melting it instantly. Duran stared in shock at the molten steel pooling on the stone.

"Who the hell…?" Duran asked, looked back up at the man, but before Duran could so much as blink, an arc of lighting struck him and he was thrown back against the parapet.

"Still alive? Let's fix that, shall we?" the man said, raising a hand over Duran. Black energy started to well up around him, even as Duran struggled to stand up.

"Over here! The intruder's over here!" a soldier yelled, rushing out towards the wizard.

"Hmph. Another time, then? I'll be back for you and the king, kid," the man said, turning away. He faded away like a bad dream as Duran slumped back to the ground, the hilt, all that remained of his sword, still clutched in his hand.

* * *

Light streamed into the room where Duran lay staring at the ceiling. The sight of his sword melting, the enemy defeating him…ridiculous, all of it! He, Duran, accept defeat? Never!

He pushed himself upright with some effort, pulling free of the covers. His entire torso was covered in bandages, many of them stained red. That wizard had left deep wounds, injuries that would take weeks to heal completely. Waiting, however, wasn't something he did, either. That wizard was going to _pay_ for this, no matter how long it took to track him down, and when he found him, that cloak wouldn't be the only thing stained _red_.

"Aunt Stella said you weren't supposed to get out of bed today," a tiny voice called quietly, as an equally small face appeared at the edge of the banister, watching him.

"Wendy, Aunt Stella doesn't know as much as you think," Duran said, turning to his sister. "Know where she stuck my clothes?"

"They're all burnt up. She's out getting new ones," Wendy answered quietly, staring at Duran. She was a bit over ten now, but her eyes, pericing blue eyes like their mothers, still held the innocence of a newborn. "Brother, I don't think you should be up. You're all bloody!"

"Hah! These are just scratches!" Duran said, smacking his chest. He resisted the urge to double over and start crying from the pain.

"Well…" Wendy mumbled as Duran walked as steadily as possible to the closet and looked around for something to wear. He'd only had the one shirt that actually fit him. The others were either too big, too small, or an odd shade of pink, thanks to a washing accident last year. He'd never got a strait story out of his aunt about that; he knew it involved cats, somehow.

"Don't worry, Wendy. I'm just going to go talk to the king, alright?" Duran said, pulling out the oversized sleeveless shirt that he was supposed to grow into. Not that that was likely. The stupid thing reached to his knees! The pants were all right though; nothing special, but at least he could stuff them into last year's boots and make do. He strapped his fencing belt on gingerly, tightening it just enough to make the shirt look like it was actually a jerkin; he hoped that it looked like it was supposed to be that long.

"Alright, But I'm telling Stella when she gets back!" Wendy said warningly as Duran passed her on his way downstairs.

"You do that," Duran said, shaking his head in mock annoyance. His mane of unruly red hair spread out like a great feathered wing, gently falling back into place. It didn't matter what Duran did to it, or how much Stella brushed it; the stuff refused to be anything but a huge mass of red, and Duran refused to let anyone cut it.

He snatched a half of a loaf of bread from the kitchen table on his way out, munching it thoughtfully as he headed for the castle. Surely the King would know who the wizard in the red cloak was, and how to get strong enough to beat him.

* * *

Lise shivered in the morning mist, tucking her cloak closer to her body as she sat, leaning against a stack of roped-down crates. The ship had docked, but was it Jad, or just another stop? They'd twice stopped, once at some blistering desert, and then at some godforsaken snowfield. Her knowledge of geography wasn't the best, but that meant they'd gone at least half way around the world. Where now?

"All passengers, last stop, Jad!" one of the sailors bellowed, repeating the phrase several times. Lise stood up, shaking the dew off her cloak, and headed for the ramp. After several months onboard this ship, dry land seemed like a very, very good idea.

"Careful, miss," the same sailor said, turning to her. "Something's wrong. There should be another ship here, waiting to move on to Maia. Keep an eye out for anything dangerous, and don't take chances. All kinds of folk end up in Jad."

"Thank you," Lise answered, nodding slightly. Come to think of it, the harbor did seem oddly vacant. There wasn't a single person waiting down there. Well, that was no reason to stay onboard. She needed to get to Wendel, no matter the danger, and the only way to get there was through Jad. She went down the exit ramp, recovering her land legs so quickly it would have surprised anyone that didn't know her. She stepped out through the long arch way into the city proper, and stopped abruptly.

"Once again, we, the beast men, now control this town! Do not oppose us, and you won't be harmed! Otherwise…" a particularly mean looking beastman was saying angrily, raising a fist to a young man. "You don't want otherwise, get it?"

"Got it!" the man said shakily, backing away. Lise sighed in annoyance, shaking her head. This was typical; her first time away from home, and she lands right in the middle of an invasion. Other passengers were coming into the town behind her, mainly because the several beast men behind them weren't allowing them much of a choice.

"They're sinking my ship! I can't make a living without that ship!" one of the sailors complained as they were likewise herded out of the harbor. Lise glanced back in time to see the ship sliding beneath the waves. How'd they break it in half?

Lise pulled the hood up on her cloak and adjusted her grip on the long spear under her cloak. If any of the beast men got too close to her, they'd find out why she was the commander of the Amazons, painfully.

"Oh, please, not this, not now!" a purple-haired man said, shaking his head. "This is the last thing I need! I have to get to Wendel, I don't have time for this! There are lives at stake!"

"I don't care if you've got a sick grandmother, you aren't getting out of this town! I've got orders!" one of the beast men snapped, turning on the man. Lise walked past slowly, hand on her spear. The man didn't look like much of a fighter, and certainly not a match for a beast man. Not alone, anyway, and unfair fights were, quite frankly, disgusting.

"Fine, I don't want any trouble," the man said, turning away and shaking his head. Lise eased her grip on her spear as the beast man glared at him, then walked the opposite direction.

Lise paused for a moment, considering that last comment. What was it, again? Something interesting in the way he'd turned away so easily? He didn't seem at all broken, not by the way he walked, or how he'd spoken. It looked much more like he'd just decided to change his approach. That man, unless she was quite mistaken, had a plan. She considered her options for a moment, then followed him towards the pub.

* * *

"Wendel? The place people make pilgrimages to?" Duran asked, scratching his head. "What would a priest be able to help me get strong enough to beat this Wizard of the Red Lotus?"

"He knows how to access the inner strength of an individual," King Richard answered, raising a hand. "Your father and I both received similar power through his guidance."

"Really? Well, then I'd better get going. That red wizard could loose to someone else at any minute, and I plan on being the one that beats him!" Duran said, ramming a fist into a palm and grinning.

"You should at least tell your Aunt before you go, Duran. She has something for you, I think," King Richard said, leaning forward with a glint in his eye.

"Of course. Thank you, Your Highness. I swear to you, as soon as that wizard pays for this insult, I will return," Duran said gravely, saluting as he backed away. He dashed out of the room, not waiting for a response. Or to be dismissed, King Richard noted.

"That boy is an exceptional swordsman, you highness. Are you certain we should let him go, especially considering that Atlena is mobilizing its army?" one of the King's bodyguards asked, turning to the King

"He needs to grow, and he can't do that here anymore. He needs to find his own way now. Don't worry, I'm certain Duran will return when we need him to," King Richard said reassuringly, leaning back in his throne and lacing his fingers together. "In the meantime, make sure we double the guard again."

"We did that after the Red Wizard attacked, sire," one of the knights said helpfully.

"I'm aware of that. Now, double the guard again," King Richard said cheerfully, smiling to himself at the look of disbelief on the knights face. It was strange how young people assumed you didn't know what you were thinking, just because you were a few decades older than them.

* * *

Duran paused outside his house, eyes closed. Something the King had said made him think Stella already knew he was planning to leave.

"Duran?" Stella asked, making him jump. "You haven't already packed, I see."

"Aunt Stella? I thought you were already home!" Duran cried, spinning around. She shook her head gently and stepped around him, reaching out a hand to his shoulder.

"I've only just finished getting these for your trip," Stella said, walking inside with Duran and raising the packages in her right hand. "I knew you'd be going when I heard what had happened. You're just like your father, only when he did this, he took the Prince along with him!"

"You mean you actually want me to go?" Duran asked, shocked.

"Don't be ridiculous. Of course I don't want you to go, but can you honestly say there's anything I can do to make you stay?" Stella asked, setting down the packages.

"No," Duran answered simply, without considering it very much.

"You see? Now, go put these on," Stella said, handing Duran a new pair of boots, pants and a shirt. "Your new armor is waiting for you at the blacksmith's, so you can get that on your way out of town as well."

"Uh, right," Duran answered, taking the clothes, and heading upstairs. Blue pants, sturdy brown boots, and a thin black undershirt. Well, it was his favorite combination of colors, but still, did it have to be so similar to what he had before? Then again, the tailor _had_ said he'd made two of them for him, since he knew Duran would ruin one of them…

Duran tossed the clothes on the bed and undressed quickly, wincing when he pulled off his shirt. He'd bled more during his informal audience with the King; running out wasn't the brightest thing he'd done today.

"Are you really leaving?" Wendy asked, making Duran jump. How did she sneak up those stairs like that? At least he was almost dressed.

"Sorry, Wendy. I'm just taking some time for, uh, vacation," Duran said, turning to his sister as he buckled his belt back on, tighter than before. "I'll be back in no time. You'll see."

"But, why?" Wendy asked, clinging to the stairwell. It occurred to Duran that this was going to be the first time he'd ever been apart from his sister for any length of time. He'd been a father as much as a brother to the girl, even though he was only seventeen himself.

"It's something I have to do, Wendy," Duran said, kneeling next to his sister and putting his hands on her shoulders. "I'll be back, though. Don't worry."

She hugged him tightly, only letting go when he stood up. It was almost enough to make him consider staying. Not quite, though.

He swept past her and took the stairs two at a time, ending with a slight skid at the bottom of the steps with Stella in front of him, holding a familiar package.

"This is your fathers sword. It's not what it used to be, I'm afraid, but King Richard told me when he brought it back that, even so, it's still an excellent sword," Stella said, offering the old wooden box to Duran. He took out the sword carefully, staring along its length. The blade was nicked and scratched all over, though someone had taken the time to sharpen it and polish it recently.

"Thank you, Aunt Stella," Duran said solemnly, sliding the sword through one of the tough leather loops on his belt. "I'll try not to damage it any more."

"Take care, Duran, and you'd better come back, alright? If you don't, I swear I'll come down there to get you!" Stella threatened, wagging a finger at him.

"I believe it!" Duran said jokingly as he stopped by the doorway, pausing in spite of his laughter, and his conviction. "I will come back, though. As a swordsman of Forcena, I _will_ come back."

Stella held her breath as he strode out, hiding the tears welling up in her eyes. He needed to do this, she reminded herself; if he stayed here now, instead of fulfilling his honor, he wouldn't be half the man he was now. But, Goddess, she was scared.

* * *

Lise stepped into the pub and glanced about, startled. Where'd he gone? He'd only walked in a few seconds before her!

The stairs on the far side of the room creaked suddenly, drawing her attention despite the immediate room. The pub was crowded, both with sailors and townsfolk that were trying to drink away their self pity. She walked across the room as quietly as she could, drawing her hood closer to her face. She didn't want anyone in here getting any ideas; killing a few drunks wasn't something she wanted, even if they _were_ disgusting.

She moved up the stairs quickly, spear gripped tightly in her right hand. Something rammed into her suddenly, knocking her against the wall, and a pair of piercing blue eyes were facing her.

"Move an inch, and you're…" the assailant started, suddenly turning red. "You're…a _woman_?"

"Amazon, actually," Lise answered quietly, shooting a look down to the spear positioned against the man's stomach. His knife was against her throat, so they were even, for the moment.

"Ah," he answered, removing his left hand from her chest and moving it away from the spear. "How about we both just back up and lower our weapons?"

"Or you could lower yours and I could keep mine. You did attack me, after all," Lise said logically, twisting the spear slowly. It didn't affect her thrust any, but it looked dangerous.

"Well, that's natural. You were following me," he answered, swallowing, but leaving the knife where it was.

"You looked like you knew how to get out of here," Lise explained quietly, easing her grip in appearance only. He took the knife away and backed up, sheathing it.

"Well, if that's all…sorry about that," he answered, making sure he was out of her range, or what he thought was her range, first. "I'm Hawk."

"Lise, of Rolante," Lise responded, shifting her dress slightly where he'd accidentally, if it was accidental, groped her.

"I'd guessed, what with you being an Amazon. You wouldn't happen to know anything about the Navarre Thieves' Guild planning to invade?" Hawk asked, tensing up again.

"How did you know that?" Lise asked angrily, raising the spear again. "Are you from Navarre?"

"No, no! Listen, I'm not one of them!" Hawk said, waving his arms frantically, and Lise relaxed a bit. "Well, not anymore, at least. I used to be, but they're trying to get me now, too."

"Why? If you're one of them, shouldn't you be in my castle right now?" Lise asked, tensing her arms again. It would be so satisfying to put her spear in him right now, after what those monsters had done…

"No way! The Navarre thieves' guild would never kill anyone. A girl named Isabella is manipulating everything. First she killed my best friend, then she locked me up, and put a curse on his sister…I take it her plans to invade Rolante were a success, then," Hawk said, slumping into a nearby chair, already quite certain of the answer. Damn Isabella! She'd already succeeded, it seemed…

"Yes," Lise answered sullenly, lowering her spear. "How did you escape, if this Isabella has so much power?"

"A friend of mine broke me out and I had to run for it. I caught a ship in Sultan and, well, here I am. Until dark, at least," Hawk answered, resting an arm on the table and closing his eyes.

"What happens then?" Lise asked, putting the spear back under her cloak.

"Wait a bit, and you'll see," Hawk said, smirking. "But I'll tell you this, as soon as night falls, I'm heading for Wendel."

"I heard. As it happens, that's where I'm headed as well," Lise said, pulling back the hood on her cloak and shifting into a more comfortable position against the wall.

"Really?" Hawk asked slowly, tilting his head to one side and looking at Lise's face. She looked a bit familiar, somehow. "Care to travel together?"

"That depends. What happens tonight?" Lise asked coolly, a sharp edge still present in her voice. She might be beautiful, but she was still an Amazon. Take one step wrong and you could say goodbye to your spleen.

"Well, you see, these beast men have an interesting weakness after dark…" Hawk started, leaning forward.

* * *

"What the hell?" Duran yelled, drawing the sword. "You brought me to a town I can't leave? What kind of morons are you?"

"Aiie! No, wait! We didn't know Jad had been taken over!" the three sailors Duran was menacing cried in unison.

"That's enough out of you!" a beast man growled, reaching for Duran.

"Hold on a sec! I'll get to you once I'm finished with them!" Duran said irritably, smacking the Beastman up side his head with the flat of his blade, knocking the poor soldier senseless. Why hadn't Lugar _told_ them they'd be dealing with a blasted _Forcenan_ _knight_?

"Enough," a particularly large Beastman said, starting up the plank. "Put away that sword and I, Lugar, commander of the beast man army, won't kill you."

"I, Lugar? What's that supposed to be, fur ball?" Duran taunted, leveling his sword at the beast man.

"My name," Lugar said, lunging forward and catching the sword before Duran could move. "And don't forget it, kid."

Duran spat blood and dropped to his knees, clutching his body where his wounds had just reopened. That punch! It'd just been a blur!

"No, damn it…if I wasn't already injured, you'd never…" Duran gasped, already falling forward. When he hit the deck, he was already unconscious.

* * *

That, was chapter one. A bit long, eh? And I only introduced half the main characters, too! I should have another chapter up soon. The more reviews, the quicker I update, though, so feel free to leave good or bad reviews, as you like. 


	2. Under Cover of Night

Pathways

Chapter 2: Under Cover of Night

Author's note: If anyone out there that thinks I'm misusing any of these characters, absolutely feel free to email me, or leave a review (same thing, for this purpose).

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, general concepts, or anything else Square copyrighted.

* * *

"I see. So you're looking for your brother," Hawk said gently, leaning back with his eyes closed. "I'm sorry. If Isabella hadn't framed me back in Navarre, I never would have let this happen. That's why it's all the more important I get to Wendel."

"What guarantee do you have that the priest can help? It's not like he's got an army to fight off the Navarre ninja for us, and as long as they're in the way we can't get at Isabella," Lise said, tapping a hand irritably on the table. She'd removed her cloak in the warmth of the upstairs room, but refused to put down her spear. It was a calculated action; she wanted him to think she was at least considering him as an ally, but not to get too comfortable. Besides that, a few minor alterations to her story had quite easily tricked the thief into believing that she was a mere foot soldier in the Amazon army, than the commander she was.

"All I need him to do is remove the curse on Jessica and we'll see how long Isabella survives. You'd be surprised what defenses a master thief can get past," Hawk answered smugly, leaning the chair back on its back legs and resting one arm over the back. "Then again, maybe not. Rolante _was_ called "The Kingdom That Never Fell" for a reason, and they managed to bring it down. Not that I condone their actions, but from a professional point of view, that was an absolutely amazing theft."

"It was perfect," Lise answered quietly, standing up and taking her cloak.

"Hey, wait…!" Hawk called, sitting forward as she headed down the stairs. She ignored him; well, it had been a pretty insensitive thing to say. Her father _had_ been killed during that attack, her brother had been kidnapped, and the Amazon army virtually annihilated, and all only a short time ago. On top of that, here was some common _thief _telling her what a great job they'd done. Nice one, Hawk.

* * *

Duran could smell something sweet. It was a little familiar, like something he'd smelt when he was a little baby, like a flower, or some kind of perfume, only it didn't make him gag like perfumes did.

Duran opened his eyes slowly, looking ahead, half awake. A mass of purplish hair cascaded off the edge of the bed in front of him, half covering a pale, naked, very female, back. Duran sat bolt upright in bed.

He was not, in fact, that close to the girl in the bed next to him. There was a good eight feet between them, but still, this was extremely disturbing. For one, where was he? Two, who brought him here? Three, _what in the name of the Goddess was he doing next to a naked woman?_

"Oh, you're awake! Lugar carried you in here a few hours ago," a man called, stepping around a counter and walking towards Duran. He was tall and very thin, with short, fair hair. He had that odd, wide-eyed look of the businessman perpetually on the verge of bankruptcy.

"Oh, right. I got knocked out by that big fur ball," Duran groaned, ignoring the burning waves of pain coming from his chest. "Is this an inn?"

"It was until a few weeks ago. With the Beastmen here I can't make a profit, so it's turned into a makeshift hospital," the ex-innkeeper said, sitting down in a rickety old chair next to Duran's bed. "Where'd you get those wounds? I don't think the beast men burn people alive."

"I got struck by lightning six days ago. Who's she?" Duran asked quickly, pointing a thumb at the girl.

"Don't ask me. She came in here, asked if she could sleep until nighttime, and went to bed," the innkeeper answered sympathetically, shaking his head. "Looks like she's had a rough few weeks. At least it looks like she's planning on getting out of this town tonight."

"What's so special about tonight? Are the Beastmen leaving?" Duran asked suspiciously, glancing over to his sword, propped up against the back of the bed.

"Nothing's that special about tonight, I guess. That girl got here earlier this morning, so tonight's the first time the Beastmen will transform. Heh, they turn into stupid, mindless beast at night! A guy that can survive getting hit by lighting and facing off against the Beastmen shouldn't have any trouble with a few rural dogs," The innkeeper said, not bothering to lower his voice. "You can get your revenge then, except for Lugar. That one turns into a werewolf, not a wolf. He'll kill you if he sees you trying to escape."

"Thanks for the help. Could you give me back my shirt and sword now? I'm going to have a look around town," Duran said, putting a foot out of bed. Except for the breastplate he'd gotten back home and the undershirt, he was still fully clothed. He considered the slightly disturbing idea of a man undressing him, but shook it away. Some things were best to just ignore.

"Sure, but be careful. Beastmen hold a grudge, and Lugar didn't seem too happy with you when he carried you in here. Did you actually manage to hurt one of his men?" the innkeeper asked, standing up and getting Duran's shirt and armor off the table behind him.

"Not really, I just knocked him out," Duran answered, slightly muffled, as he pulled the shirt on and slipped his armor over his head. "Well, thanks for the advice. See you around."

Duran snatched up his sword as he stood up, sliding it into his belt as he headed for the door. It was only a bit after midday, by the sun, but some nasty looking clouds had rolled in.

The streets were almost empty, except for a few children, and the Beastmen. There were at least a hundred of them stationed here, though only about half of them were actually on duty. Duran glanced up and noticed a familiar, white-furred Beastmen looking down at him from one of the parapets. Lugar glowered down at Duran, his arms crossed in disapproval.

"The feeling's mutual," Duran grunted, turning towards the grocery store. There was usually something to read in those places, from his experience, or something he could buy to eat. Not that he was especially interested in reading, but practicing with his sword just now or going to the pub didn't seem like very smart things to do.

Duran paused outside the building, looking sideways at an odd, cloaked individual leaning on one side of the alley. He had one of those odd feelings again, like he used to get about Sword Master Katsu, back in Forcena. Before he could decide what to do, the cloaked figure looked up.

"The Goddess?" Duran stammered, nearly falling over in surprise at the face under that hood. "That's impossible!"

There was no mistaking it, though; the perfect almond shape of her eyes, the flowing, rippling hair, the perfectly shaped, gently sloping jaw and those beautiful, full, delicious-looking lips…Duran steered away from that line of thought.

"What? Don't be ridiculous," the woman said, staring at him. "I'm human, I promise."

"Whoa, sorry. You look just like her!" Duran said, still amazed, and not entirely convinced. "Hey, could you hold still for a sec?"

Duran pulled out the golden pendant his mother had left to him, a large amulet made in the Goddesses likeness, and held it up so he could compare the faces.

"Yeah, you look identical! Except for the ears. Hers are kind of pointed," Duran said, glancing back and forth between the woman and the pendant. "That's amazing!"

"I'd never noticed that before," she said, looking at her reflection on something. "There aren't many good mirrors where I live."

Duran started, realizing what she was using as a mirror. That was one huge spear! You could probably split a tree with a piece of metal that size!

"I'm Lise, by the way," she said, tucking the spear back under her cloak. "Of Rolante."

"Rolante? That explains the spear, then," Duran said, nodding. "I'm Duran, swordsman of Forcena. I didn't expect to meet a real Amazon on my journey."

"I didn't expect to meet a Forcenan swordsman in Jad. Is it wise to wear that sword so openly?" Lise asked, tilting her head to one side and putting a hand on her hip.

"This? Huh, they can try and take it away if they want, but they'll be sorry," Duran said, putting a hand on the hilt of his sword. "Those Beastmen aren't so tough. Once I'm finished recovering, I'll come back and take care of them."

"All of them? There're a lot more of them back in the Beast Kingdom, you know," Lise said, smiling.

"Hah! One or one thousand, it won't make a difference. I won't let any of them off easy," Duran boasted, running a thumb under his nose and pointing it down. "They're all losers!"

"I see," Lise said brightly, tilting her head down respectfully. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Duran. May we meet again."

Duran waved as she turned and headed back down the alleyway, smiling to himself. That was something to tell his sister about when he got home! A real Amazon!

He stood for a moment, thinking about how his sister and Aunt Stella were getting on without him. They were probably fine, but he couldn't help worrying. At length he pushed open the door to the shop and stepped inside, shaking his head.

"A customer?" an old man piped up, looking up from the shop counter as soon as the door opened. He was short, pudgy, and had been in the process of organizing something behind the counter.

"Got anything to read?" Duran asked, sitting down on one of the stools in front of the counter. "I need to…kill some time."

"Nothing free, but I've got a few books. Nothing a swordsman would be interested in, though. It's all girly stuff," the old man said, brushing the subject aside with one hand. "How about buying a few souvenirs, instead? I've got this contraption from Maia that can make a painting of anything, on the spot!"

"No thanks. What else do you sell here? I don't see any real food," Duran said, glancing around the shop. A young man was standing in a corner, brooding, and a little girl was staring avidly at a bow of chocolates on a shelf behind the old man, but other than that, the place was empty. As for wares, unless he kept everything under the counter, the only thing he had for sale here was old candies and a few bottled herbs.

"Well, no. My supplies have been cut off since the Beastmen got here, and people have to eat. The Beastmen only distribute just enough to keep the residents alive, and weak, and nothing comes to me at all," the shopkeeper said, shaking his head. "The economy of our town is suffering, thanks to them. They didn't outright rob me, though, so anything that isn't edible, except for some candy, is still here. Like these picture things!"

Duran stared at the clunky black object in the shopkeeper's hands. It was about a foot wide and half that tall and thick. A roll of shiny white paper was attacked to the top, and what looked like a giant glass eye was mounted on the front.

"How are you ever going to sell anything that looks so creepy?" Duran asked, staring at the disturbing, ugly black thing.

"It's depressing, I know. No one appreciates the brilliance of my nephew, Bon Jour!" The man said sadly, shaking his head in disappointment.

"Little box, scary," someone said behind Duran. The young swordsman whirled, half drawing his sword, and stood facing the odd young man. He was a bit taller than Duran and pretty muscular, but he was unarmed.

"Don't sneak up behind people like that!" Duran said angrily, sliding his sword back into its sheath.

"Sorry. Me not around people much," He said, bowing slightly. "Me, Kevin."

"Kevin, huh? I'm Duran," Duran said, putting out a hand. Kevin stared at it blankly, considering what exactly he was supposed to so with it.

"Duran, no tell other Beastmen me here, okay?" Kevin said, ignoring the hand. "Please. Other Beastmen can't see me now."

"Wait, you're a Beastman?" Duran said, backing up, only just keeping his hand from the hilt of his sword. "I guess that explains the way you talk, kind of. Why are you hiding from them?"

"Me need to see the Priest, to bring back wolf pup Karl," Kevin explained. Duran put up a hand before he could continue. Here it was, Kevin thought darkly, this swordsman was going to turn him in, thanks to his honesty.

"Hold on a sec, Kevin. Do you know what "I" means?" Duran asked, raising one eyebrow.

"Oh, me know what I means. Me and I are same," Kevin said proudly, inwardly relieved. "Me no talk to people much, though, so me not talk so good."

"Say "I don't talk that well" now," Duran commanded, staring at Kevin intently.

"I don't talk that well," Kevin said, perfectly. "Is that good?"

"Better, but work on I. And try to work in a few am's and don't's, if it's not too hard. People will look at you funny if you talk like that," Duran said, smiling at his own, minor achievement, rather than how quickly Kevin picked the language back up. "You should just listen to how other people talk for awhile, and you'll get it. But don't say "me" at the beginning of the sentence. That's pretty much always wrong."

"Okay," Kevin said blandly, struggling slightly to put the sentence together. Besides that, he was fairly certain there were at least a couple of situations where starting a sentence with me were just fine. "Duran good guy. Me, er, I try to talk better from now on."

"Good, you do that," Duran said, stepping around Kevin. "And don't let that old man point that thing of his at you. It looks dangerous. And I won't tell the other Beastmen about you, either."

"Okay. Bye, Duran," Kevin answered, waving weakly as Duran walked out the door. What an odd guy, to carry that sword around. Kevin could never understand why humans made things to kill each other with. Why couldn't they just be friends, like Duran and him? Come to think of it, why couldn't the Beastmen be friends with the humans, too? It was all so depressing. Kevin wandered back to his corner and leaned his head against the wall, finding the cool stone soothing, and mentally recited a few sentences in good English, practicing. At least Duran had given him something to do, instead of just staring at the wall. Not that just repeating Duran's side of the conversation in his head was all that helpful, but Kevin _had _been taught English already. Living in the woods for half a year at a time had just worn it out of him.

* * *

Hawk pulled his daggers out of the dartboard, sighing. Lise had been gone nearly two hours already, and the sun went down around six in this part of the world. If she wasn't back in a few hours, he'd have to leave without her. Besides, it wasn't like there was much for her to do in Jad, right?

He walked back to the other side of the room and held up one of the daggers, aiming carefully at the far target. He pulled his arm back, tensed, and…

"Hawk?"

The dagger bounced off the dart board, hitting with the hilt instead of the blade. Hawk cursed under his breath and looked around wildly at whoever had been stupid enough to disturb him in the middle of a throw.

"Lise? Thank the Goddess, I was starting to worry!" Hawk said, shoving his momentary anger aside. "Listen, about earlier, I need to apologize."

"It's okay, really. You weren't deliberately trying to make me feel bad, after all," Lise said, shaking her head. "I wanted to ask you, how many of these "wolves" do you think you can handle? I don't think I can beat more than five or six, myself."

"Ah, the escape. I can deal with four, easily," Hawk said, striding across the room and picking up his other dagger. "Any more than that, and I can't guarantee how much help I can be. Why?"

"We'll need help, then. A new shift of guards just came on, and there are at least twenty of them stationed throughout the city," Lise said, leaning against the wall again.

"Do you have someone in mind?" Hawk asked, sliding his daggers back into his belt calmly.

"Yes, actually. Did you know there was a Forcenan swordsman in town?" Lise asked, pulling back the hood on her cloak and resting her spear against her shoulder.

"No. A real Forcenan swordsman, eh? They're supposed to be the best fighters in the world," Hawk said, smirking. "Did he look strong?"

"Yes, and quite confident. We might just be able to make it, with his help," Lise said seriously, completely oblivious to the smirk on Hawk's face.

"Well, if you say so. I'm sure you're an _excellent_ judge of character," Hawk said, sitting down at the table. His sarcasm was lost on the Amazon, however.

"By the way, are we even supposed to be up here?" Lise asked, looking around the cozy room.

"Oh, certainly. Don't you know what rooms like these are for?" Hawk asked, leaning back in his chair. It wasn't so much that they were supposed to be there, more that no one really cared.

"No, unless this is where the owner lives," Lise said, admiring at a mounted elk head. She didn't take her eyes off Hawk, however; he was still from Navarre, and therefore completely untrustworthy.

"Perhaps. But, more commonly, these rooms are for gambling, or other illegal activities," Hawk said, holding up a pack of cards. "Care to make a bet, Miss Lise?"

* * *

Duran sat next to the window, one foot propped up on the sill, in the old chair the innkeeper had leant him. His father's sword was resting on his raised knee, balanced for the moment, until Duran moved again.

"Go down already," Duran said irritably, watching the sunset. "I want to get out of this place."

He'd been sitting here in this dull, lulling silence for at least an hour, with nothing to disturb the silence other than the occasional creak as he innkeeper shifted slightly in his own chair. It was stiflingly peaceful, and Duran was half asleep thanks to this stupid wait.

Duran nearly knocked the sword down when he started at the sudden sound behind him. The girl was yawning.

"What time is it, old man?" she asked groggily, rubbing her face. Duran resisted the urge to turn around.

"Just about five thirty, miss. I was just about to wake you up," the innkeeper said, lifting his head off his fist. "And, please, I'm only twenty-five. I'm hardly old."

"You talk like an old person," She said, climbing out of bed and putting on her cloak. Duran risked a glance back at her now; she was very pretty, but those clothes! A bright orange leotard, knee-high boots, gloves and a cape! Who dressed like that? And that, that body!

"Who are you, hm?" she asked, glancing up in time to see Duran. "Another old man?"

"Me?" Duran asked, glad he wasn't fully facing her. "I'm Duran, of Forcena. I'm just waiting until the sun's down, then I'm out of here."

"Oh? You wouldn't be heading towards Wendel, would you?" she asked, crossing the room in a couple of steps. She'd acquired a worn oak cane along the way, presumably from beside her bed. Duran hadn't seen one there earlier, though.

"Yes. Why?" Duran asked, sheathing his sword and standing up.

"Well, being a Knight and all, you wouldn't let a lady go there alone, would you?" She asked, doing her best to look vulnerable.

"I'm not a knight, and I'm not sure what kind of "lady" I'd be traveling with, to be honest," Duran said, picking up the chair and putting it back where he'd found it.

"Are you saying I'm some kind of prostitute?" she said angrily, raising her cane. "How dare you! I'll have you know, I'm the Princess of Altena, Angela, and anyone that questions my…"

"Did you say Altena?" Duran asked loudly, rounding on her abruptly, hand on his sword. "Do you know someone called the Wizard of the Red Lotus?"

"Well, yeah, if you mean Koren." Angela answered, slightly taken aback by the sudden change in subject. "He and I both used to be useless with magic, but all the sudden he became the greatest magician in Altena."

"Are you saying you're _friends_ with that guy?" Duran hissed, drawing his sword.

"Whoa, hold it! I used to know him, but he and mother tried to _kill_ me! Don't get me wrong, I don't want _anything_ to do with _either_ of them!" Angela said, raising her hands protectively.

"What? Why would they try to kill you, if you're the princess?" Duran asked, lowering his sword, but not completely. This Altenan girl was hardly trustworthy, and he wasn't particularly interested in getting hit in the back of his head with that cane. And what if she had magic, like Koren?

"They wanted to use me as a sacrifice to release some stupid seal on something called a Mana Stone," Angela answered, backing away. "Why are you so upset, though? If you're from Forcena, they couldn't have done anything to you, right?"

"Hardly. That wizard is the one that gave me these," Duran said, raising the part of his shirt that wasn't held down by the armor. Jagged, red burns were still easily visible.

"Wow. Nice abs," Angela commented, hiding her inward revulsion at the horrible, bloody wounds. How could Koren do that to someone? He used to be such a nice guy...

Duran put his shirt back down, frowning at Angela's comment but blushing a bit in spite of himself.

"Sorry. Just my sense of humor," Angela apologized, shaking her head.

"Do you still want an escort to Wendel?" Duran asked, sheathing his sword and folding his arms.

"Of course! Do I look like I can fight my way out of here? Even if they turn into mindless beasts, they're still dangerous!" Angela said, outraged.

"Then come on. The sun's setting," Duran said, walking to the door, but pausing in front of the innkeeper, almost as an afterthought. "Thanks for letting me stay here. It was a great help."

"No problem. You two be careful, and make sure you get my message to Wendel!" the innkeeper said loudly as Duran stepped out the door and Angela ran after him, complaining about men under her breath.

"What message?" Angela asked as soon as she caught up with Duran.

"I'll tell you later," Duran said calmly, drawing his sword. Three big wolves were walking slowly out of the alleyway in front of him, watching the two humans carefully. Those didn't look like mindless beasts.

Angela raised her cane in front of her protectively, cursing herself for not being able to use magic, like almost everyone else in Altena. If she could, these wolves wouldn't stand a chance!

The first wolf charged, moving low, and close to the ground. No, there was nothing unintelligent about them. These things were here to kill you, not to eat you. Duran waiting until it was almost directly in front of him, then slashed horizontally. The wolf jumped, as he'd expected, and Duran caught it on one of his arm bracers, knocking the thing on its side. His sword sunk home in the instant the creature was vulnerable, and it gave a shriek, neither beast nor human. Duran rammed a foot on its throat to stop it, but it was too late. Other wolves had already appeared, circling around them cautiously.

"How good are you with that stupid cane?" Duran asked, leveling his sword at the nearest wolf.

"Pretty good, I guess. I don't want to have to test it out on one of these, though!" Angela asked, backing further behind Duran.

"Perhaps we can be of assistance?"

"Who…?" Duran asked, cut short as a dagger thudded heavily into one of the wolves, dropping the creature soundlessly. He looked up in time to see a familiar cloaked figure drop from the roof, landing directly in front of him. Lise spun, knocking away three of the wolves without even slowing down. Hawk dashed up from Duran's right, jumped over a wolf and snatched his knife out of the fallen one in one fluid movement.

"Don't just stand there, Duran! This might be our only chance to get out of here!" Lise called, staggering back as she blocked several wolves at once with her spear.

Duran lunged forward and impaled two of the wolves in front of Lise, jerking his sword free and slashing through a third. He started at the dull thud behind him, and turned in time to see one of the wolves fall to the ground, whimpering gently.

"Ow! That felt like I was hitting a brick wall!" Angela complained, shaking her right hand to alleviate the soreness. She'd put all her strength into walloping that thing.

"Thank you!" Duran said happily, stepping in front of her and kicking one of the wolves back. "Now _this_ is a fight!"

Hawk dashed between him and Angela, catching one of the wolves as it jumped towards Duran and slipping his daggers between its ribs, opening both of its lungs.

"I would have gotten it!" Duran complained, stabbing another. His attention was drawn to Lise, however; she fought like a leaf in the air, jumping and twisting away, only ever blocking when she had no choice. Her spear moved with her, and came forward with deadly accuracy at just the right moment. Duran couldn't predict a single one of her movements, and the wolves certainly couldn't.

Hawk's own, brutally accurate movements didn't escape Duran's notice, either. His daggers slid in and out without a drop of blood, and left his enemies unable to stand, let alone fight. Angela, on the other hand, more or less stood behind his and swung her cane at anything that got too close. It was effective, but only combined with Duran's brutal swordsmanship.

"That's all of them, for now," Hawk said as Duran passed his sword though he last wolf. "We'd better hurry. They won't stay down for long."

"What? Are you saying these things aren't dead?" Angela asked, staring at a decapitated body.

"Absolutely. Beastmen can only be killed during the day," Hawk answered, sheathing his knives. "There weren't any werewolves with them, so their leader is still out there somewhere."

Lise ran past Duran silently, heading for the main gates. Hawk fell into step beside her, struggling to keep up with the Amazon's raw speed.

Duran grabbed Angela's hand, growling, and took off after them. He only went a few dozen feet before he came to an abrupt halt.

"I knew we shouldn't have wasted time helping them!" Hawk said angrily, facing the gate. There, standing in the moonlight, was a full fledged werewolf. It was an impressive creature, standing nearly a head taller than Duran, with bright golden hair and white fur covering the rest of its body. It's eyes, contrary to Duran's expectations, looked very human indeed. And very, very familiar.

"Hold it!" Duran said, reaching Hawk before he could rush the creature. "That isn't' Lugar."

"No, I am Kevin," the werewolf said, somewhat haltingly. It raised its hands and set into a closed stance, glowing for a moment. Kevin stood up, as human looking as ever, and smiled hugely. "I take care of gate guards for Duran!"

"That, my friends, is what I call a good Beastman," Duran said, nudging Hawk in the side.

"Hey! Some of the residents are escaping!"

"Damn, they're onto us already? I thought they were all wolves?" Duran said, drawing his sword.

"Duran, go on ahead. I keep other Beastmen here!" Kevin said, ramming a fist into his palm.

"Well, that sounds good to me," Hawk said, dashing out the gate. Lise hesitated for a moment, then nodded to Duran and ran after Hawk.

"Thanks, Kevin. You're a good guy," Duran said, putting a hand on Kevin's shoulder as he passed him. Angela walked on Duran's far side, not at all trusting of someone that could turn into a giant werewolf.

"I protect my friends," Kevin said, perfectly, and turned to face the werewolves dashing down the street towards them. "Besides, they won't hurt me if I get caught."

Duran and Angela ran into the forest beyond Jad, Lise and Hawk already out of sight within it. Duran glanced back at Kevin before they were out of sight, and saw the golden haired werewolf fighting off three of his own kind, and losing.

"Damn it, if I wasn't injured," Duran said through gritted teeth, not in any way convinced of the Beastman's words. "There's no way I'd leave him there like that!"

Angela glanced at him in the night, wondering just what kind of man he was, to fight like that with such severe injuries. She didn't doubt for a second he'd go back if he wasn't hurt.

* * *

Author's note: Chapter two, Finis! As all you folks out there have no doubt realized, some major parts of the plot, and certain numbers (distances, times) from the game are being heavily altered. I've also tried to expand on each of the characters personalities a bit, and by the next time Kevin comes in, HE WON'T HAVE A SPECH IMPEDIMENT! 


	3. 3: Blinging Light

_Pathways_

_Chapter 3: Blinding Light_

_Author's note: _

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, general concepts, or anything else Square copyrighted.

* * *

_

Hawk crouched next to the stream, filling his water flask. They'd ran for nearly an hour before Lise had been satisfied that they were sufficiently far enough from Jad, and the exertion had taken a toll on his body. He glanced to the amazon where she stood calmly, staring off into woods. She wasn't even winded, even after that. What kind of training did the Amazons endure?

"We can go now," Hawk said quietly, standing up and slinging the water over his shoulder. Lise raised a hand, silencing him.

"We'll move across the stream and head south from here," Lise whispered, drawing close to Hawk. Her eyes had been a warm, gentle green during the day; in the shadows of night, those eyes were as cold as ice and sharp as steel. Hawk couldn't find words to answer as she stood in front of him, an entity of martial focus.

The moment of fear only lasted an instant. Lise trotted past him and stepped into the stream. He turned, shaken, and followed her as she dashed away. If he didn't dream of anything else tonight, he was sure he'd see those eyes._

* * *

_

Duran dropped to a knee, panting. How far had they come? Not far enough, it seemed. He could still feel something following behind them.

"Angela?" Duran called gently, turning to the girl. She'd dropped to the ground, only remaining partially upright thanks to her staff.

"I, I'm okay," Angela gasped, but it was obvious she couldn't go any farther. Her largely bare legs had been scratched as they fled and what endurance she had was now thoroughly depleted; they couldn't stop, though, not with their pursuers so close behind.

"Damnit," Duran spat, standing up. They couldn't be far from Wendel now; he'd glimpsed Astoria Lake through a gap in the trees a few minutes ago, and he knew that it connected to Wendel. There was supposed to be a cave that connected them on the Northern edge of the lake, a cave that was supposedly warded against evil. If they could just reach that, they'd be safe!

"I can still do more, Duran," Angela claimed weakly, trying to stand. It was futile; her legs shook wildly and she fell back. Duran stepped forward and caught her arm automatically, lifting her up.

"Don't act so tough," Duran said, pulling her towards him gently. He picked her up and put her on his back piggyback style, ignoring the looks of gratitude, indignation and surprise that filtered across the Princess's face. He had greater difficulty shrugging off the stabbing pain in his chest.

"This is hardly a way to treat a Princess…," Angela complained, blushing slightly. Duran was quiet for a moment, ignoring the slight wavering in her voice.

"We'll rest in Astoria village tonight and move on in the morning," Duran explained gently, trudging forward under the added weight of the girl. "If we're lucky, the beastmen won't follow us there."

"Thank you," Angela whispered under her breath, unheard by Duran. To find someone willing to carry her, and delay their journey a whole night for her by chance…it was almost too good to be true. And with those wounds! If he could do all of this now, what would he be like when they were healed?_Koren_ had beaten someone like _this_?

Duran shook his head at himself. Maybe it was the blood loss, but he was feeling unusually generous right now. His wounds had reopened about an hour ago thanks to the damage Lugar had done earlier, though it wasn't bleeding too much.

Astoria village came into view only a few minutes later, appearing as a small cluster of lights reflected and stretched across the lake. On the far side, the Holy City of Wendel rose up in the night, the white stone it was built with gleaming like a second moon.

"Almost there," Duran sighed, slumping slightly. He looked back at Angela when she didn't respond, and marveled at the girls ability to sleep. After an entire day in bed, she was already out again after only a few hours. He trudged forward into the largely sleeping village in silence, his own thoughts flowing only sluggishly in his head.

"Hey!" Duran turned at the voice, startled, and saw a young man running towards them. "What happened?"

Duran's vision blurred abruptly as the last of his strength drained away and he fell forward, raising a small ring of dust around him as he landed face first. After a moment, he started to snore.

* * *

"What is it?" Lise asked in genuine wonder, running her hands over the smooth, invisible barrier.

"I've never encountered something like this before," Hawk mumbled through his hand; he was still trying to stop the nosebleed running headfirst into this thing had given him.

"Well, it looks like the entrance to the cave is completely sealed. Maybe we should backtrack to Astoria and see if someone there can get through?" Lise suggested, turning away and pointing to the small village.

"It's worth a shot," Hawk said, glancing up at the sky wearily. "It's getting pretty close to midnight, though. I doubt many of the residents will be awake."

"We won't know until we're there," Lise answered optimistically, walking off. Hawk sighed; how'd she keep this up? She hadn't given any indication that she was tired in the least, even after traveling this far. If she kept this up, he'd drop from sheer exhaustion.

"Oi, wait up!" Hawk called, shoving his thoughts aside when he realized how far ahead Lise already was. He dashed after her, surprised at his absentmindedness. Perhaps he should have gone to that blasted inn after all…

Lise only slowed slightly at Hawk's request. She was beginning to see just how the priest of light could help her retake Rolante; the ability to erect invisible, impenetrable barriers at will could make the coming battle quite possible, even with just a handful of warriors.

* * *

_The flagstones were ripped away, tearing apart in the air. The far wall exploded outward, a jagged slash left where it should have been. The man standing there slowly stood up and sheathed his sword, examining the damage he'd done. His long black hair flowed out behind him in the wind, almost seeming to float. He turned around slowly, eyes distant, and shook his head._

"_Wow! You could beat anyone, Katsu!" Duran said in awe, looking up._

"_Anyone can fight, Duran," Katsu said quietly, glancing at the young swordsman. "It takes someone exceptional to have the strength to protect."_

"Katsu?" Duran whispered, opening his eyes. "What a thing to be dreaming about now."

Duran pushed himself upright slowly, wincing at the pain. It looked like he was in someone's house, and next to him…

Duran jumped out of bed abruptly, backing against the far wall. Angela had been in bed with him! Actually _in bed _with him!

"Oh, you're awake!" A young woman said, stepping into the room. "You're lucky Astoria's a nice town, or else someone might have robbed you."

"Huh? What?" Duran asked, still recovering from the initial shock.

"Maybe you should lie down a little longer," she said, stepping towards him. "You don't look so good."

"No!" Duran cried, then composed himself. "No. I'm fine, thanks. What exactly am I, er, we, doing here?"

"Oh, my husband helped pull you in here. He said you carried that girl into town and collapsed!" She answered, with only a hint of excitement. "Are you running away from something? Or, maybe…eloping?" "What?" Duran yelped, pressing back against the wall again. "No way! I was just helping her get to Wendel!"

"Oh. Alright," the woman said, crestfallen. "The cave's sealed, though. You'll have to get someone to take you across in a fishing boat tomorrow, so you can stay here tonight if you want."

"Thanks, that sounds fine," Duran said, shaking his head uneasily. This woman was starting to creep him out, especially the way she'd been waiting around the corner for him to wake up. What kind of person did that? And assumed you were eloping?

"I see. Well, if you need anything, I'll be in the next room," she said sadly, backing towards the door. "You're at least on some kind of grand quest, right?"

"No, no I don't think so," Duran responded uneasily. The woman sighed, turned and exited the room. Finally.

Duran slouched against the wall. Getting some more rest really was his top priority at the moment. Maybe if he took off his helmet and used it as a pillow? Nope, that'd just hurt his neck. Hm. The room was, with the exception of the bed, completely bare. In fact, the only source of light was a tiny window above the bed.

Duran reached up and looked out, careful not to disturb Angela. The lake reflected the brilliant white moon above, casting a silverish tint over everything. Duran normally didn't bother to stop and appreciate the scenery, but it was hard to ignore something so beautiful. But, now that he thought about it, wasn't the Astoria lake supposed to be a blue lake? So why was there a green tint cast over it?

"The moon…," Duran said, looking up as realization stole through his mind. "Is moving?"

The thought wasn't especially intelligent, but to the point; the moon was not supposed to shoot across the sky, or get larger with each passing moment. Duran turned and ran out of the room, snatching his sword.

This was definitely magic. Nothing else could create such a light, nor move so quickly. If that light was connected to Altena, then it could be the work of that Red Wizard. This was the line of thought Duran used to justify his actions. In reality, he had no idea why he chased the light.

The green light came to ground as Duran left the village, somewhere in the woods. He turned down a deer path, ignoring the strange creatures moving in the shadows. Any monsters that thought they'd make a meal of him were in for a surprise, and any Beastmen that got in his way would die. Painfully.

Nothing bothered him, whether because he was lucky or because the monsters sensed the particular danger presented by attacking him. Duran broke out of the forest and almost stopped. The light hovered in the middle of the small clearing, floating there for just a moment, then it dropped like a falling star and landed heavily on the ground.

Duran approached it cautiously as the light faded, sword ready. What was that inside of it? It almost looked like it was a…

"Fairy?" Duran asked, astounded. "What is a fairy doing…? How did it get…?"

The fairy fluttered its wings weakly, sitting up limply. It had the physical proportions of a young women, but at one twentieth the size. The set of strange dragonfly wings on her back glowed when they moved, emitting the light Duran had seen earlier.

"Erm…you alright?" Duran asked, uncertain how exactly one spoke to a legendary creature.

"Huh? Oh, I'm alright. I just overexerted myself a bit," the fairy answered sweetly, trying to stand up. "Um…would you help me up? I can't seem to manage it."

"Uh, sure…" Duran said, reaching out a hand to the fairy.

"Hm. You'll do, I suppose," she said, just as Duran touched her. "Alright, I've picked you. Now, take me to the priest of light in Wendel!"

"Huh? What do you mean, picked me?" Duran asked as the fairy pulled itself upright with the aid of one of his fingers.

"Oh, nothing. I don't have much choice now, anyway. I'll need to take a rest inside your head for a bit now, thank you," The fairy said happily, dissolving into light as Duran watched.

"Hey! What do you mean, take a rest inside my…" Duran never finished. The golden light the fairy had become hit him in the face and knocked him over.

"Ugh…hey, what was that for? You…" Duran said angrily, sitting up.

"_Oh, stop complaining. Now, let's head to Wendel!"_ a voice said quite sweetly. It reverberated slightly, and Duran was absolutely certain it hadn't ever reached his ears.

"Aah! There's a voice in my head! You get out of there right now!" Duran yelled, shaking his head in an attempt to dislodge the fairy. It only made him dizzy.

"_Oh, settle down. There's no getting rid of me, now. Come on, we really need to head to Wendel! I have grave news for the high priest!"_ the fairy said, an edge to the deceptively childish voice.

"Hey! Are you listening to me? Get out! This is my head!" Duran yelled, smacking himself in the forehead. "I will not be possessed by some stupid fairy!"

"_Stupid fairy? I might not be the brightest, but I'm not as dumb as you!_" the fairy retorted. "_And you really shouldn't do that. You might hurt yourself, and then where would the world be?"_

"Why you little…hey, wait. What was that about the world?" Duran asked, stopping his struggle abruptly.

"You'll find out when we get to Wendel!" the fairy answered curtly.

"Now hold on a second! I've got some questions first!" Duran said irritably, folding his arms.

The fairy sighed inwardly, shaking her currently incorporeal head. This was going to take a while, it seemed. And, on top of that, the longer she stayed inside his head, the more like him she'd get. What a pain!

* * *

"Did they follow us?" Lise asked irritably, glaring at the line of wolves walking, or rather, marching, towards Astoria village.

"I don't think so. I'm certain the ones down their can smell us just fine, however," Hawk said calmly, kneeling so he could see through a small gap in the bushes. "The wind isn't blowing right now, so if we're ever within about a hundred yards they'll know."

"So, why are they ignoring us, then?" Lise asked, looking at the purple haired thief.

"I'd say they're attacking Astoria, to be honest. As long as we stay out of it, we should be fine," Hawk said, nodding to himself and rubbing his chin.

"What? We can't let them! We have to go warn the villagers!" Lise said, hastily rising.

"Hold it," Hawk said, putting up a hand. "I never said we shouldn't warn the village, but those wolves are on the quickest route there. Unless you're willing to swim through the lake, there's no way we can get there first."

"Fine with me! The lake's right over there," Lise said, jabbing a thumb at the sparkling water behind her.

"You don't know much about Astoria Lake, do you?" Hawk said, turning to Lise and closing one eye, titling his head to one side. "If we go swimming in that lake, we'll die. It was cursed by the Priest of Darkness a long time ago to drain the life from anything that touches it. Without a boat, you can't cross it."

"So, how do we help them, then? If I have to kill every one of these wolves myself, I will!" Lise said, raising her spear.

"You go nuts without sleep, don't you? Attacking over a hundred wolves by yourself is just suicide," Hawk said, standing up. "Well, I've had enough of a rest. Let's go."

"Go? Where? The enemies' over there!" Lise said, waving her spear wildly.

Hawk shook his head. He'd known a few people like this; they get low on sleep and start acting like morons, sometimes dangerous morons. Unfortunately, a highly trained Amazon suffering from sleep deprivation was quite definitely the latter. This was going to be a long, long night.

* * *

"So, basically, you're here to save the world because of some horrible thing that's happening somewhere else, right?" Duran simplified. The fairy would have fallen over in surprise, if she could while inside someone's head.

"Y-yeah, that's right," the fairy said shakily, mentally grimacing.

Duran nodded, satisfied with his version of that long, complicated story. He was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the clearing, a hand braced on each knee with a look of intense thought on his face. Mainly, he was just thinking about how to get rid of the fairy.

"Say…what's that smell?" Duran asked, sniffing the air. "It almost smells like…smoke?"

"Sorry, I can't smell in here, but if I were you, I'd head for Astoria right now. I've got a bad feeling," the fairy said, mentally leaning against the inside of Duran's head.

Duran went from sitting to sprinting in a split second, tearing through the underbrush with as little consideration for his already damaged body as ever. When a fairy that was trying to save the world said she had a "bad feeling" about something, it wasn't something to laugh about. At least, Duran didn't think it was.

It only took a few minutes to reach the village, not that it mattered.

"How could someone do something so horrible?" the fairy asked, deliberately expressing, and expanding, the feelings Duran himself was feeling.

"Beastmen…," Duran growled. "I can't believe they…Angela!"

Duran turned to the house, but there was no way any living human was in there. The entire village was burning, hotter than anything he'd ever felt. A spasm of pain from his chest corrected him; _second_ hottest thing he'd ever felt.

"Damn them…," Duran snarled. "I'll kill them! All of them!"

"Calm down! I don't sense any dead souls here," the fairy said irritably, mentally rubbing her ears in pain.

"What? What's that supposed to mean?" Duran asked, momentarily suppressing his rage.

"It means, if everyone in this village had been slaughtered, at least one of their souls would be lingering here. Besides that, aren't there normally boats in a lakeshore village?" the fairy answered, as condescending as Duran could be when attempting to talk his way out of chores.

"You mean…Angela's alright?" Duran said, a picture of the scantily clad woman passing through his, and consequently the fairy's, mind.

"Yes…and the villagers, too," the fairy said, not in the least surprised. What was it with men and long, bare legs? Rather, what was it with women who dressed that way willingly?

Duran looked across at the white city. "So, they're in Wendel," Duran frowned. "How exactly are we supposed to get there without a boat?"

"That should be simple enough. Let's head over to the cave," the fairy said smugly.

"It's sealed up, isn't it?" Duran felt a small thump inside his head, or what felt like a thump.

"Just go, already! I'll take care of that weak seal!" the fairy stomped her foot again before slumping back. "Oh, and you should probably call me something other than fairy, so, think up a name for me."

Duran scratched his head as he turned in the general direction of the cave entrance. "Why am I thinking of a name? Don't you already have one?"

"Nope, fairies don't get to have names usually, and we aren't allowed to pick our own. In fact, only when we're bonded to a human are we allowed to have names, and only if the human chooses it."

"Once again, why am I thinking up a name?" Duran asked as he trotted towards the cave.

The fairy growled. "Just do it, already! There aren't any rules saying that the host has to give the name willingly!"

Duran mentally shrugged. If it was that important, he might as well do it. "Alright. I'll call you…"

* * *

Hawk rolled over in bed. It wasn't that he wasn't tired, or didn't want to sleep. Rather, it was the two women who were sharing the room with him.

The first was Lise, who, though he was considerably less uneasy in her presence, was still a beautiful, fully trained Amazon who slept with her spear in one hand. She was slumped in a chair by the small fireplace, to all appearances asleep.

The second would have the been the most attractive woman Hawk had ever met, if he had not reserved first place for someone already. Though, of course, for all he knew Lise could compete with her; in terms of facial appearance, she was actually prettier, and he had no idea what her body looked like. The second woman was named Angela, and since awakening in Astoria she hadn't stopped moving. Even now, she was pacing near the door, lost in thought.

To fully justify Hawk's inability to sleep, one must of course understand that the room they were occupying was roughly ten feet long and ten feet wide, with the single bed centered against one wall. So, even though the two women were as far as possible from him, they could still reach out and touch him at any time.

Hawk sat up and scratched the side of his head. He'd given up on sleep; even if he could manage to loose consciousness, he'd probably have nightmares. Too much had happened too fast, too many people were dead. Only about two thirds of the villagers from Astoria had managed to get onto the lake before the Beastmen arrived. Even more would have been left if Hawk and Lise had gotten there any later.

Their arrival in and of itself had been a small miracle. Some distance from the village proper they'd found a house built on the lake, and borrowed the owners boat. It was what Hawk had been hoping for, and with the added speed of the boat they were able to warn the village in time. Women and children had been the first to leave, and what men could fit followed. Those who were left behind…

Now that he thought about it, there had been one notable absence last night. The Forcenan swordsman that had been such an asset in Jad has escaped with Angela, but seemed to have disappeared.

"Can't sleep?" Hawk started at the voice as Angela leaned against the wall in front of him.

Hawk considered her seriously for a moment. Her skin was very pale, but quite healthy. Though her clothes were somewhat lacking in surface area, they were made of expensive cloth, particularly the cloak, and her hair was lavender, certainly not a common color. Who exactly was she?

"I've got too much to think about," Hawk answered at length, resting his chin in a hand. "It's been a long week."

Angela nodded gravely. "A month ago I was living in Castle Altena, now I'm sharing a tiny room with a thief and an Amazon. I'm still waiting to wake up."

"Altena Caste?" Hawk frowned. "How was it you were living there?"

Angela looked slightly uneasy; after seeing Duran's reaction to her origins, she was less than enthusiastic about telling someone else she was the Princess. "I was there studying to be a mage. My parents thought I had the gift, like most people in Altena. It turns out they were wrong."

"I see." Hawk looked down at his lap, considering. "Why didn't you go home to your parents?"

"I was ashamed. In Altena, magic is everything; without the gift, I would have been nothing but a second class citizen there," Angela's eyes were downcast as she spoke. Hawk was fairly certain she was at least partially lying, but he couldn't pinpoint it just yet.

Angela looked up when Hawk didn't answer, for a moment concerned with what his reaction was. Her fears were unjustified, however, when after a moment Hawk started to snore quietly. He'd forgotten to lay back down.

* * *

Kevin grunted as he was roughly shoved to his knees. He'/d managed to hold off six of his fellow beastmen single handedly, until Lugar had intervened. Even so, the fight had been quite close; the older beastman was nursing several rather large bruises and two broken ribs as he stood over Kevin, frowning.

"I did not expect you to help us apprehend the escaping humans, considering your human blood, but I never suspected the Beast King's own son would fight against the royal army so boldly," Lugar spoke with a slight lisp; Kevin may have loosened a few teeth during their fight. "This is outright treason against the crown. You will be held here in Jad until we receive orders from the Beast King regarding your punishment."

Kevin gritted his teeth. As far as he was concerned, the Beast King's decision's were meaningless. Not only had he ordered Kevin's single most precious friend to be, ultimately, killed, he'd invaded a peaceful human town with no real provocation. These were not the actions he associated with a great ruler, or father.

The two burly beastmen guards holding Kevin's arms raised him to his feat and marched him out of the room. The extremely heavy shackles attached to his wrists and ankles made a clanking sound as he walked, grating on Kevin's nerves. He was walked down several flights of stairs until the relatively new, polished building gave was to much older, stone passages. Cells, mostly occupied by the former town guard, lined the walls. He was taken to the very end of the passage and shoved into one of the few empty cells.

Kevin turned sharply as he was released, but the cell door snapped shut before he could reach it.

One of the guards tossed a small key through the bars. "For the chains. You still the prince, shouldn't be chained up like that."

Kevin wordlessly sat down and set to work freeing himself from his immediate restraints. He watched the two guards walk away out of the corner of his eye. If there were others here who would show him respect as the prince, he'd have plenty of opportunities to escape. All he had to do was wait for a particularly trusting one to appear…

"Psst. Hey, tall guy!" Kevin jumped at the human voice coming from the cell next to him. "We're trying to come up with a way out of here. You want in?"

Kevin paused for a moment, remembering his brief lecture with Duran about speaking properly. "I will help. I can get us out."

"Really? How?" the voice continued. A pair of hands grasped the bars, and Kevin suddenly became aware of the number of eyes watching him from nearby cells.

"I am prince of Beast Kingdom, but against invasion. Beastmen will still let me out if I tell them who I am and then I can take keys and help everyone else," Kevin explained as the last lock gave way and he kicked the shackles off. "Only problem is Lugar. Need to escape before he catch us."

Several angry murmurs went up throughout the cell at the mention of Kevin's parentage, but one voice shouted the rest into submission. "Quiet, you lot! Who cares who he is, if he can get us out? Listen, boy, if what you're saying is true, than you'll be helping us retake our city. The Lord of Jad has a private dock down the coastline that the beastmen probably haven't found. Moreover, it's a small fortress he built in case of an uprising against him. If we can make it there, even if his ships are gone we'll be able to hold our own for several months."

More complaints rang out in outrage at the casual explanation of their last true hope at liberating their city. Once again, they were shouted down.

"So, what do you say, boy? You help us get out, and I swear on my title as Commander of Jad's Militia to help you get away safe. Deal?" the Commander's voice was slightly gruff, but Kevin liked the sound of it. He decided the man who owned that voice was probably trustworthy.

"I help. Next time guards come down, we make escape," Kevin said quietly. He realized this would be seen as leading an army against the beastmen, but cared little about that. He'd have his vengeance on his father any way he could get it. First, however, he needed to get to Wendel. The holy city was ultimately the target of the attack, and he needed the priest's help first. It wouldn't be a bad thing to meet up with Duran again, either.

* * *

Yeah, end of the third chapter. Wonder how many people are still interested in this? Anyway, I'll have the next chapter up relatively soon, what with the imminent major plot battles coming up.


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